But neither of Hollywood's lame, lamentable big-screen cracks at the
historical swords-and-robes genre (Troy and Alexander)
came close to the success of their predecessor, and the more recent HBO
miniseries Rome (a.k.a. "Sex and the Eternal City"), however
well-researched, was perhaps too British to seduce the same audience.

The latest effort in the genre, however, may have something original
about it. French impressario and director Robert Hossein's recreation of
Ben-Hur in France's biggest football stadium just outside Paris
is scheduled to run from 22 to 30 September 2006.

Photo
courtesy of AFP

Hossein's spectacle boasts a cast of several hundred, features a Roman triumph or
army grand parade, battle scenes, gladiatorial combat,
a chariot
race staged by Mario Luraschi and took almost a year to produce.

But while Hossein has the undeniable ability to fill thousands of seats
with his popular and sometimes over-the-top historical frescos, he has
never been a favourite with le tout Paris or serious French
critics. The promised circus, even served up on the best bread in Paris,
may well not satisfy those with an appetite for real cultural meat.